saying good-bye to margaret

I was reading a book this morning called "The Sacred Romance" and it sparked some thoughts in me regarding the difficulty I am having in anticipating Margaret's leaving in June. I think it comes down to a level of intimacy that friends and roommates can have (which of course is similar in some ways to marriage but also very different!). Margaret and I do a lot of things together. Like last night we went to exercise and swim at a near by hotel. After swimming we just sat by the pool and shared a pizza and talked and rested. It was a simple but special time. And on the way home we sang along to the music at the tops of our voices. We run errands, go shopping, make meals and entertain, sit in traffic, etc. etc. together. We have had many laughs together, we have cried, we have nursed each other through sicknesses, we have shared tough stuff with each other and we have worked through conflict. I really can see that working through the conflict we had back in Nov/Dec of 2007 made a tremendous impact on our relationship - for the better. It gave us an understanding of our different personalities and preferences. Instead of driving us apart, it forged a deeper knowing and a willingness to accommodate to the differences. I have grown in areas of my life b/c of this. It is nice to have a certain level of being known and knowing someone. Many of you will have this with your spouse or your family or a roommate or friend. (Really it is what we all long for.) For example, after sharing many a morning meal together over the last 8 months, we know how to make each other's toast - she likes it dark and I like it medium light. I know that when I make cookies she likes just plain 'ol chocolate chips in hers. She doesn't want nuts or other stuff. She knows that I like my Coke to come with the meal not before and I drink it straight from the bottle so she can order for me. We have inside jokes that have developed over the months that even if I shared them with you, you wouldn't really get it. It is all these things and more that make a friendship special and meaningful. We have a history now. It is hard to let go of something meaningful and enjoyable. Hard to trust that God knows all this and has something else in mind that is still good. But He does. There is and will be grieving b/c saying good bye to Margaret is a loss. My choice now is to withdraw and protect myself over the next three months or to jump in and enjoy the time we have until the very end. As an MK (missionary kid) my first reaction is protection. But God has been working in me and although it is hard at times, I am not going to withdraw but embrace the time we have left and make more memories. Praise the Lord for good friends. They are a gift from Him. My grandmother collected plates with different sayings on them and this is one that I always remember: "False friends are like autumn leaves, found everywhere. True friends are like diamonds, precious but rare." Margaret is a true friend that God gave me for a season. Thank you Lord.